Simulation studies of chiral nematic textures switched by light

Inspired by the work of Feringa, Katsonis, and coworkers, we model light-driven texture transitions in chiral nematics. We focus on a mixture of 5cb and a chiral dopant based on molecular motors that change their chirality under illumination. Implementing a finite difference method for the 3D director dynamics, we study the microstructural evolution of a disordered focal conic texture and a perfect planar texture when chirality is shut down or inverted. After this chirality switch, we monitor the time evolution of defects-rich regions and defect lines. These results show the capabilities of molecular motors for developing chirality-based smart materials that interact and adapt to their surrounding environment.